Dispensing device



Aug. 19,-1930. F. s. UPHAM DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Oct. 15. 1928 6 6 2 2p w W... I 72 waew' Patented Aug. 19, 1930 i l I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE I rnanxnrn s 'urnam, or DES aromas, IOWA I Application filedOctober 15, 1928. Serial No. 'B12,584,

The object of this invention is to provide forwardly of its center ofgravity so that an improved construction fora dispensing said membertends to occupy the rearward container for cigarettes and other ob ectsof position of rotary adjustment which is insimilar shape. dicated inFigure 2.

A further object of the invention is to pro- A false bottom 26 ispivotally mounted 55 vide a dispensing device which is simple and in thecontainer'by means of screws or the economical of construction andefficient in like 28 seated in the side walls 12. The use and which isnot apt to get out of order, false bottom 26 has a normal inclined posi-Still another object of the invention is to tion whereby it extendsforwardly and down- 1 provide a dispensing device which is arwardlyfroma point near the top of the rear 60 ranged to contain a plurality ofelongated wall 14 to a point near, yet spaced from, the objects and todeliver them singly upon manlower margin of the abbreviated front wallual operation of a delivery member. 10. The pivots'28 of the falsebottom are With these and other objects in view my located rearwardly ofitsecenterof gravity 15 invention consists in the construction, arandthe forward margin of said member rests 6E rangement and combination ofthe various upon and is supported, by the delivery memparts of mydevice, whereby the objects conber 22. e f templated are attained, ashereinafter more i The upper surface of the delivery member fully setforth, pointed out in'my claim, and 22 preferably is somewhat convex,whereby illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in a cam surface isprovided and it is upon which: this surface that the forward margin ofthe Figure-1 is a perspective View of myimfalse bottom 26 rests.

proved dispensing device. I The lower forward portion of the falseFigure 2 is a perspective view of the debottom 26 preferably is eveledor chamfered vice with one side wall removed, the parts at 32 tofacilitate the sliding contact which 7 being in normal position. takesplace when the delivery member is os- Figure 3 is .a similar view,showin the cillated. The lower rear portion of the front parts inposition for the delivery of an 0 j ect. wall 10 preferably is beveledor chamfered In carrying out my invention, I employ a at 34 and thecamsurface 3 0 of the delivery box-like container having a front wall10, member cooperates with-said beveled or side walls 12, and a rearwall 14, chamfered portion to substantially close the As here shown thecontainer is closable recess or opening 20 when the delivery memby meansof a sliding cover 16 seated in ber is oscillated forwardly, as showninFigi grooves18 in the upper; portions of the side ure 3. I walls, butis to be nnderstood that an The device is designed particularly forsuitable covering means may be employe holding and, dispensing elongatedobjects The front wall 10 terminates at a point suchas cigarettesdesignated by the numeral spaced considerably above the lower margins36. Theobjects to be dispensed, such as the of the side walls, whereby arecess or opencigarettes 36, are placed transversely in the ing isprovided at the lower frontportion container, as shown, and rest uponthe false of the container for the delivery of objects bottom 26, vwhich because of its inclined contained therein, which opening I havedesposition causes the objects to roll downignated by the numeral 20.wardly and forwardly and lodge against the e A delivery member 22 ispivotally mountforward walllO. 45 ed in the lower forward portion of thecon- The delivery member 22 is formed with a tainer adjacent the opening20. The delivsubsta tially radiallongitudinal rib 38, ery member 22 ispivoted to the side walls which'in the normal position of the device 12by means of screws "or the like 24. The shown in Figure 2, projectsupwardly todelivery member 22 is of irregular shape in ward the beveledlower margin of thefront cross section and the pivots 24 are locatedwall 10. The longitudinal rib 38 cooperates with the body portion of thedeliverymember 22 in forming a longitudinal groove 40 in said member,which groove normally is located between the lower margins ofthe frontwall 10 and false bottom 26, as shown in Figure 2. The .groove 40 is ofsufficient size to just receive one of the objects 36 therein.

A flat led e member 42 is formed on or fixed to the forward ortion ofthe delivery member 22 and exten s longitudinally thereof in spacedrelation to the rib 38. The ledge member 42is of greater width than therib 38 and it projects outwardly through the opening 20 and a materialdistance forwardly of the front wall of the container.

In practical operation, the container is supplied with objects to bedispensed, such as the cigarettes 36, and the parts are so arranged thatin their normal position one of said objects will occupy'the groove 40of the delivery device, as shown in Figure 2.

When it is desired to obtain one of the obj ects from the container, thefingers are placed upon the ledge piece 42 and against the forwardsurface of the rib 38. A downward pressure of the fingers upon the ledgepiece 42 will cause a forward oscillation of the delivery member 22 tothe position shown in Figure 3, so that the grooved portion of thedelivery member containing one of the objects 36 is carried forwardlythrough an arc to a point outside the container.

The arcuate movement of the rib 38 which supports the object 36 willcause the object to roll or fall out of the groove 40 after it isoutside the container and the position of the fingers between the ledgepiece 42 and rib 38 will cause the object to be delivered into the handof the operator in a convenient manner.

It will be noted that the forward oscillation of the delivery member 22as above described, will cause its convex surface 30 to ass freelybeneath the free forward edge 0 the false bottom 26 and to fill thespace between said false bottom and the lower margin of the front wall10 so that another of the objects 36 may pass by gravity toward saidcurved surface and be in position for occupying the groove 40 as soon asthe delivery member has returned to normal position.

It will also be noted that the cam surface 30 of the deliver membercauses an oscillation of the false ottom 26 during movement of thedelivery member so that a forward and downward movement of the objects36 within the container is insured and a lodgement or packing of theobjects between the false bottom and front wall is prevented.

When pressure upon the ledge piece 42 is removed, the delivery member 22returns to its normal position by force of gravity and its rearwardmovement maybe limited by means of stops 44 pro'ecting inwardly from thebottom portions 0 the side walls 12.

It will be obvious that I have provided a simple and inexpensiveconstruction for a device for containing and delivering objects of thecharacter described and that the shape and arrangement of the deliverymember is such as to insure the delivery or dispensing of a singleobject with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator andfurthermore, to cause the object to be delivered in such manner thatitis received into the hand of the operator without any additionaleffort or movement other than that required for oscillating the deliverymember.

I claim as my invention:

A dispensing device comprising a container formed with an opening in oneside wall, a delivery member pivoted adjacent said opening and adaptedto project partially therethrough, said delivery member being formedwith a seat located inside the container and arranged to travel throughsaid opening when the member is oscillated, an inclined member in saidcontainer arranged to support objects and to cause them to be positionedsuccessively in the seat of said delivery member following eachoscillatory movement thereof, said delivery member being formed with afinger ledge projecting laterally through said opening for engagement inmanually operating it by downward pressure, and also being formed with afinger depression between said ledge and the seat to receive the tips ofthe fingers by which pressure is applied to said ledge, whereby anobject in said seat may be delivered into the hand of an operator whensaid delivery member is oscillated outwardly thereby the inner portionof said delivery member being overweighted so that it tends to oscillateinwardly to normal position for receiving another object in said seatwhen pressure is removed from the ledge.

Des Moines, Iowa, September 19, 1928.

FRANKLIN S. UPI-1AM.

